The ability of users to receive and consume information has been bolstered by rapid advances in consumer electronics, such as music players, digital camera, personal digital assistants (PDA), cellular phones, and notebooks. These advances have allowed users the ability to create, transfer, store, and consume information almost anywhere, anytime.
Navigation systems and location based services enabled systems have also become more portable and powerful. These systems have been incorporated in automobiles, notebooks, handheld devices, and other portable products. Today, these systems aid users by incorporating available, real-time relevant information, such as maps, directions, local businesses, or other points of interest. The real-time information provides invaluable relevant information, when available or in service areas. The relevant information is also invaluable when service is not available, as well.
Current personal navigation devices can display navigation information on a screen, such as: the location co-ordinates of the device at; the speed of the device; and the direction of movement of the device. While the navigation information can be displayed in any number of ways most users use a map mode, which causes a map to be displayed on the screen of the personal navigation device, indicating the location of the device on the map. However, users continue to look for ways to interact with navigation and location based devices.
Thus, a need still remains for a navigation system with audio monitoring capabilities. In view of the ever increasing commercial competitive pressures, along with growing consumer expectations and the diminishing opportunities for meaningful product differentiation in the marketplace, it is critical that answers be found for these problems. Additionally, the need to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and performance, and meet competitive pressures adds an even greater urgency to the critical necessity for finding answers to these problems.
Solutions to these problems have been long sought but prior developments have not taught or suggested any solutions and, thus, solutions to these problems have long eluded those skilled in the art.